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Career paths have changed dramatically in just the past several decades. "It's not your Daddy's career path anymore" is more true than we might imagine.
Employers looking for a no-cost benefit for their employees and a way to motivate them for productivity and longevity might want to investigate alternatives to the traditional "ladders" and be creative and innovative in their approach.
A recent study done in the HR field shows that the face of corporate human resource departments is changing as more women and more executives with international experience get to the top HR positions, even though predictions had been that HR leaders would come from broad and diverse front-line management positions.
The Wharton research showed some interesting polarities in the HR field. They noted that HR management is becoming increasingly professional (SHRM membership grew from 4,000 to 25,000 members in just a few years), but HR managers also want to be viewed as general business leaders.
And, that's the dichotomy of being too specialized. Can you gain valuable general business leadership experience, if you're "siloed" in a large company? Probably not.
In small to medium size companies like the ones we work with, we find that employees can't be too specialized, as they are required to wear "many hats."
And that may not be a bad thing. It could actually be the kind of "no-cost benefit" you could provide to your employees by giving them a well-rounded career path that helps them identify their strengths and may help to point them in the direction that is actually suited for them and for your company.
In this market we are all looking to help our employees in ways that have short-term benefit and build long-term loyalty. In small companies we can do that by giving employees a wide variety of responsibilities and experiences. It's a way to increase their skill levels, cross-train for future jobs and create huge value for the company.
So, don't worry about someone's career path taking an unexpected turn because they had to pick up extra work or go outside their "comfort zone." It may be the best thing that could happen for them and for you.
Not bad for a "no-cost benefit." Stay tuned for next month's "no-cost" idea. This is the year you need them!
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